Does a Thread border router provide full Matter support? I am in the same boat as OP. Just got a “new” v3 Hub from ebay thinking I would need it to support some Matter devices I want to get (SmartWings smart shades) but I really don’t want to switch out my V2 hub as it has been solid.
I’m sorry, I don’t understand this question.
if you have a V2 and you add a thread border router like one of the Amazon echo models that has that, then you will have the ability to use matter over thread. The V2 can already use matter over Wi-Fi or matter over bridge.
If you have a V3 or the new V4, they are already thread border routers themselves, so you don’t have to add anything.
See the community FAQ
I’d favour at least plugging it in every now and again to pick up the latest firmware upgrades.
Yes that should be possible. Your V2 sounds pretty lightly loaded so the lower capacity of the V3 shouldn’t be an issue, as you noted. I keep my spare V3 units installed so they are immediately available for a ‘hub replace’ and they can also act as extra thread border routers in the mean time. It’s a similar arrangement to hub groups but I prefer the manual control.
The ‘Give devices to someone else’ utility in the mobile app can do a lot of that as a bulk change. It’s particularly useful for transferring a hub and all its connected devices in one go though it expects that they are all owned by the same user to start with. So it’s worth trying to always use the same member account when adding devices to a Location, or indeed more generally for admin/management tasks.
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Matter Motor
Samsung SmartThings Hub V3 (Aeotec)
Samsung SmartThings Station
This info makes me think my V2 won’t be able to handle these shades.
Because the V2 doesn’t support Thread - as in Matter over Thread.
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There’s not really enough info on the website to tell but best guess is that the Matter Motor is Matter-over-Thread. As @Andreas_Roedl said, the V2 is not a Thread Border Router.
You should be able to use this with SmartThings by adding a device to your home which is a Thread Border Router such as the 4th Generation Amazon Echo.
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That info doesn’t mention the V2 for Zigbee or Z-Wave either so don’t read too much into it.
It isn’t obvious whether the Matter Motor is based on Thread or Wi-fi. Either way you should be able to add the shades to either the V2 or the V3. The difference is that if it is Thread you will need the V3 to be installed as well as your V2.
I know SmartWings has Matter over Thread and Matter over Ethernet. I don’t know about Matter over WiFi.
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I’m interested in adding thread to my v2 setup. What’s the best way? I don’t use Alexa, Google, Apple in my smarthome. Do I add a v3? They don’t seem to sell new now… what is the go to hub if I were just getting into this? I have zigbee, zwave, one matter over wifi, and now seek matter over thread. Thanks!
Sounds like a V3 may be the best option for you since you have z-wave in the mix. The place to look for a new V3 is from Aeotec at https://smartmatters.co/collections/zigbee-products/products/aeotec-smart-home-hub-smartthings-aeohubv3. They are currently in stock. You can also check EBay where you should be able to find New or Used.
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I am not excited about adding an Alexa or Google device (again). Is there an Apple device that will do the trick? I have Apple TVs. But does this somehow imbue my SmartThings setup with ability to control the SmartWings shades I’ve shared (Matter over ________) — have not purchased the shades yet but would prefer them to be Matter-based rather than Zigbee as it seems more “future proof”.
EDIT: for clarity
He meant “would prefer them to be Matter-based, over not Zigbee”.
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Yes. Thank you. When I re-read my post I considered that might trip people up but thought the context was there.
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Apple HomePod Mini is also a thread border router. Also Apple TV 4K.
some of the newest iPhones have a thread radio, but will probably not be a good choice for a thread border router to work with smartthings.
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I think I (or AI) have answered my primary question, which is, can an Apple TV (or other functional thread border router) provide access to see and control Matter devices from inside the SmartThings app.
That answer appears to be NO. SmartThings must have its own Matter controller and access to a Thread border router that SmartThings can use.
Again, I’m not quite sure what you’re asking, but nothing has changed from the community FAQ.
If you want to use matter devices in the smartthings app, then, yes, you must have a smartthings matter controller. That can be a smartthings V2 hub.
if you want to use a Matter over thread device in the smartthings app, then you must also have a thread border router available. If you have a V2 hub as your matter controller, the thread border router can be a different device on the same Wi-Fi. Including an Apple HomePod mini. Or some of the Apple TV models.
please read the community FAQ. It will answer the questions.
(And I strongly recommend not relying on AI for this kind of question. They get a lot of stuff wrong when it gets into these technical areas.)
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THIS. I didn’t realize this. I believed I had to have the V3 in order for this to work. Thanks!
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Provided you have no need for thread in the hub.
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You don’t need to have thread in the hub. This is explained in detail in both the community FAQ and the official Samsung FAQ.
The hub acts as the “matter controller.”
But your smartthings account can access matter over thread devices as long as you also have a thread border router on the same Wi-Fi as that matter controller.
so if your only smartthings matter controller is a V2, you can still add Matter over thread devices to your SmartThings account and use them in routines, just like someone with a V3 hub does. The only difference is that the V3 hub acts as its own thread border router, but that’s not a requirement for using matter devices with smartthings. You do need a thread border router to communicate with matter over thread devices, but it can be a separate device.
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I know this, I was just trying to clarify for the OP
I was concerned he may have concluded
That a v2 hub provided matter over thread, without any external tbr. When he said
“***
> THIS. I didn’t realize this. I believed I had to have the V3 in order for this to work. Thanks!
***“